Syrian opposition groups take over Idlib from gov't forces

(MENAFN- Kuwait News Agency (KUNA)) A group of Syrian opposition groups have assumed control of the town of Ariha in the northwestern Idlib province after fierce fighting with government forces, according to reports.

The groups together form the Army of Conquest, or Jaish Al-Fatah as it is also known. They include the Al-Qaeda-affiliated Al-Nusra Front, Liwa al-Haqq, Jund Al-Aqsa, Sham Legion, Jaysh Al-Sunna and Ajnad Al-Sham.

The Syrian government forces were also backed by the Lebanese Hezbollah group members and Iranian army officers, according to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights (SOHR).

The fighting was accompanied by heavy losses on both sides, as an exodus of army vehicles, said to be in the dozens, is currently being witnessed on the way to surrounding areas, the reports added.

Meanwhile, some 14 Syrian Army soldiers were killed and injured in an attack on two jets at a military base in Homs Countryside. The reports, however, did not identify the cause or perpetrator of the blast.